KIMKIM Korean Hot Sauce

Kimkim Korean Hot Sauce may be this year’s hottest winner—literally. The hot sauce was developed and perfected by Steve Kim, whose Korean-American background influenced the concoction. “One of my friends was writing a story on Korean food, so she came over for dinner,” Kim explains. After seeing her positive reaction to the hot pepper paste, he thought to bottle the product while using the same quality ingredients.

Kim’s next step was to partner with an old friend—Tim Ashman of Ashman Manufacturing, Virginia Beach, Va. “I asked Tim, ‘What does it take to get a sauce on the market?’ I figured the worst-case scenario was I would just end up with a hundred cases of Kimkim to give away as Christmas gifts,” Kim jokes.

Starting off locally, he talked to sandwich shop owners and asked if he could test out his product by the condiment bar. When the entire 16-ounce bottle was empty in a day, Kim knew he had something special. The first bottles of Kimkim came off the line in April 2012, with the sofi win hot on its heels. “The response has been great, but the best part is the connection you make with people along the way,” Kim remarks.

Without compromising flavor for heat, the sauce enhances dishes while delivering a kick. Noodle dishes, eggs, macaroni and cheese—few savory dishes wouldn’t benefit from a splash of Kimkim. Find it in Virginia-area specialty food stores, such as Whole Foods and Taste Unlimited, or online at ashmanco .com. Suggested retail price: $6.99/16 fluid ounces. Contact: Tim Ashman, Ashman Manufacturing; 757.428.6734; timashman@ashmanco.com; ashmanco.com.—A.M.

More about this product

Most hot sauces deliver heat at the expense of flavor, but KIMKIM's Korean Hot Sauce has rich, authentic Korean flavor with a tangy, spicy kick that enhances the natural tastes of every dish. Try it on everything from mac and cheese and noodle dishes to scrambled eggs.

MSRP: $6.99/16 fl. oz.
Company name: Ashman Manufacturing Co.
Website: http://www.ashmanco.com

To learn about the sofi Awards or to view more finalists in the 2012 competition, visit foodspring.com/sofiawards. To see the other products competing in the Cooking Sauce or Flavor Enhancer category, check out the products featured in the related articles section below.

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